Josh Freeman will start in Week 7

Coach Leslie Frazier said Wednesday the plan is to have Freeman ready for the Vikings' nationally televised game against the New York Giants.

"I like the things that he's done in his career, along with what he's done since he arrived here with our football team," Frazier said.

"The time that he's put in, how well he's adapted to our system, and I like his work ethic. He's done enough for us to say we want to give him this opportunity — which is something we had in mind when we acquired him. We think now is the time."

Freeman, 25, took the first-team reps Wednesday, followed by Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel, who led the Vikings over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 29 in London in place of injured Ponder (ribs) but struggled in Sunday's blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Fantasy Impact:

Matt Cassel flopped at home against a good Carolina defense in Week 6, which is why the Vikings decided to make the switch. Freeman has a strong arm and has played at a high level in stretches throughout his career. We generally don't endorse QBs who join new teams midseason and have to develop chemistry with receivers on the fly, but Freeman is a player to monitor for owners who have QB issues.